Hydro One Board Raises Being Called Greedy

A professor emeritus at the University of Windsor is calling pay increases at the Hydro One board "unjustified" and "greedy."

Dr. Alfie Morgan says "when you empower people to line up their pockets, they will do this."

Controversy was sparked Tuesday when the board voted to give themselves a $25,000 wage hikes this year along with a $70,000 raise for the board chair.

The utility was partially privatized in 2015 and Dr. Alfie Morgan says, with no regulations in place, wages have continued to rise at the cost of taxpayers.

Dr. Morgan says the public needs to start speaking up.

"Let's at least make sure that these people operate within a reasonable framework by applying the appropriate pressure by restraining them, regulating them," he says. "Otherwise, there's just no one to stop or limit the self-serving greed."

Heading into an election, Dr. Morgan says this doesn't look good for Liberals.

"It was part of the Liberal plan. It is an unwise decision and an unjustifiable decision, but it was done and now we're stuck with the consequences. The consequences are a higher cost for everyone because these people then have to be paid and they're going to pass on this payment to the customers."

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says the move is unacceptable and that's why her government is pushing for a review of the utility's compensation package.